I always cringe a bit when reading Moroni’s epistle to the chief judge Pahoran in Alma 60.

Moroni is getting angry and assuming a whole lot of things very incorrectly. Awkward.

But this time, verse 33 in Alma 60 made me do a double take. ⁣

Moroni tells Pahoran that the Lord told Moroni to go to battle against the Pahoran if he didn’t repent of his sins and iniquities.

What?!

Pahoran actually wasn’t committing sins and iniquities, and this was all a misunderstanding on Moroni’s part.

Moroni was receiving revelation to battle Pahoran even when he wasn’t actually doing anything wrong?

Why would the Lord prompt Moroni with incorrect information?⁣

And then I got to Pahoran’s response in Alma 61. ⁣

“I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do [about these rebels taking over the government and pushing Pahoran out], whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren. ⁣

“But ye have said, except they repent the Lord hath commanded you that ye should go against them.”⁣ (Alma 61:19-20)

And then Pahoran calls for Moroni to join him and bring troops for a battle against the rebels in the capital. ⁣

Pahoran had been praying to know whether or not he should go to battle against his own people. ⁣

He had been kicked off the judgment seat, but he wasn’t sure what to do next. ⁣

And Moroni’s inspiration that Moroni totally thought was about going to battle against Pahoran, was actually God’s way of answering Pahoran’s prayers – by telling him that they should go to battle against the people who had kicked him out. ⁣

So this whole misunderstood letter from Moroni? The false accusations and warnings and calls to repentance?⁣

They were all really just a messy vessel for God to answer Pahoran’s prayer. ⁣

And AMAZING and HUMBLE Pahoran was able to overlook the misunderstandings and offensive phrases in Moroni’s letter in order to find the truth within it. ⁣

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just a cliche: God really does only have imperfect people to work with. ⁣

And sometimes we have to just ignore and forgive the messy parts in order to find the gold we need in each other.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Was the Lord wrong?! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

(Also how the heck was that already four years ago?!)

I don’t think many people escaped that year without any “battle wounds”.

Whether emotional, social, or even physical, “hurt” was experienced by virtually everyone.

Here’s one of my absolute favorite observations Mormon makes in the entire Book of Mormon.

During the brutally long war between the Nephites and Lamanites, two interesting groups emerged:

“. . . many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.” (Alma 62:41)

So, many hearts were softened.

And many hearts were hardened.

By the SAME EXACT EVENT.

Everyone experienced the same war, but there were different personal outcomes.

Isn’t that so true?

I believe that our agency and attitudes play a huge role in how our hearts react to events.

When reflecting on 2020 or any other major event in your life, have you felt your heart get a little harder or a little softer?

Have you empathized more or judged more?

Have you been a creator of joy and peace or of confusion and division?

And as life continues to be tough, divisive, and frustrating, how do we continually choose to react?

“Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God…. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better.” – Dale G. Renlund

The outside circumstances don’t matter nearly as much as how our hearts choose to respond.

And when we choose humility, meekness, and Jesus Christ, we can let even the hardest of situations soften our hearts.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Harden or soften? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The 2,000 young men that Helaman called his sons were described as:⁣

“true at all times in whatsoever things they were entrusted.” (Alma 53:20)⁣

“firm and undaunted” (Alma 57:20)⁣

And they did “obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness.” (Alma 57:21)⁣

They weren’t looking at their neighbor, waiting to see if he would do what was right. ⁣

They each had that conviction of integrity. ⁣

Which is interesting for me to reflect on. ⁣

Do I sometimes only do things because I know other people are watching?

Or because they would notice if I didn’t? ⁣

Ugh. Unfortunately, sometimes, yes. ⁣

But, more often, I think I’m building up my integrity. ⁣

I’m not looking to cut spiritual corners. ⁣

I’m not looking for praise. ⁣

I’m just fulfilling my covenants with the best integrity that I can. ⁣

When no one’s paying attention to me, I still watch the same shows and listen to the same music.

I still read my scriptures and pray. ⁣

My standards don’t change based on who I am with. ⁣

And I feel like I am in the great company of the sons of the Ammonites when I make these commitments. ⁣

I’m not sure what the Ammonite daughters were doing, but I imagine they were using their strong integrity to serve and support their brothers, to take on the jobs their brothers would have been doing at home while they were out fighting. ⁣

I am always drawn to people with integrity.

To the people who do what they say they will do, and who will do it in an honest way, or communicate if they can’t get something done. ⁣

Whenever I want to make grand statements about, “The world needs more people with integrity”…⁣

… I stop and bring it back to myself. ⁣

Where can I be filled with integrity even more? ⁣

How can I make sure my beliefs and my actions align at all times?⁣

How can I be just as proud of what I do when no one is watching, as I am when everyone is watching?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Integrity  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

They had believed in false traditions but then completely converted their hearts and made covenants when they learned about Jesus.

They uprooted their families from where they had probably lived their whole lives and moved to a safer location.

They didn’t give the anti-Christ, Korihor, a second of their time when he came to town.

They took in poor Zoramites who had been kicked out of their city, giving them food and clothing.

They uprooted their lives and moved again to give room for the Nephite armies.

Have you ever wondered WHY the Ammonite sons didn’t have even a shadow of a doubt that their mothers had faith in God?

“And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Alma 56:48)

Why would their children believe their moms?

Because these Ammonite women backed up whatever they taught at home with action.

These women weren’t just sitting back, hoping dearly that their kids will gain a testimony.

They lived the gospel of Jesus Christ, and their children couldn’t help but notice.

They kept their covenants with exactness.

They turned away from evil.

They served with their whole hearts.

They sacrificed when needed.

There was no way to doubt their mothers knew that God would provide because they had proved it over and over already.

Sharing our testimonies with others is so powerful.

But backing up what we say with whole-hearted action leaves no room for doubt.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How could there be no doubt? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Things that are unexplainable, grand, and inspiring. ⁣

But I have found that most of the time, my success comes from my hard work, my desire to learn, and my application of knowledge. ⁣

… so is that taking God out of the equation to acknowledge that?⁣

Let’s look at Captain Moroni’s battle against Zarahemnah’s Lamanite troops. ⁣

Moroni and Lehi had surrounded the Lamanites and were asking for their surrender.

Moroni verbally expressed that he knew the Nephite armies had prevailed because of their faith in God. ⁣

Zarahemnah’s response as he was surrounded by Nephite armies?⁣

“We do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.” (Alma 44:9)⁣

In other words, “Moroni, it certainly wasn’t a god who helped you. You just wore armor and were very smart about your battle plans – that’s why you won!”⁣

What Zarahemnah did not know is that Moroni had gone to the high priest Alma in order to find out where the Lamanite armies were going and how they should attack. ⁣

Moroni was cunning and brilliant with his battle plans – because he had faith in God who showed him what to do. ⁣

And that armor they wore? The Nephites traditionally always had better defensive wear than the Lamanites. So I’m sure Moroni used his God-given brilliance to continue those same preparations. ⁣

Zarahemnah was partially right in his argument. ⁣

Moroni won due to his cunning and armor. ⁣

But Zarahemnah missed the big, obvious connection that Moroni attributed his cunning and armor to the One who gave him breath. ⁣

Using my talent and intellect to find success in this life is exactly what God intends me to do with my gifts.

But He also wants to make sure I don’t lose sight, like Zarahemnah did, of where all of my power comes from.

Miracles that look like logical outcomes are still miracles from a loving Heavenly Father.

And acknowledging this constantly is what can help keep my heart soft and humble. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post That wasn’t a miracle!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Have you experienced one of these dog-piles of chaos and trials before?!

Health trials, emotional trials, physical trials, anxiety-inducing trials…

I was just a mess.

I knew I was in survival mode.

But I later realized that I was also in “spiritual survival mode”.

This was NOT the time of my life for lengthy scripture study sessions, devotional podcasts, and abundantly reaching out to serve others.

I was overdrawing from my personal spiritual bank account.

I was taking out a whole lot more emotional strength than I was putting in at the time.

And I think this is how it should be when these crazy moments hit.

I needed to draw on every ounce of spiritual testimony and peace that I had already found in order to keep my head above water.

A few months later, after my life calmed down a bit, I realized I needed to kick my spiritual preparation into gear again.

Captain Moroni teaches us something interesting about strengthening weak places in times of peace:

“In their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.” (Alma 48:9)

There wasn’t any contention going on at the time.

But Captain Moroni was spending time, energy, and resources to prepare for a future battle that he knew would happen.

You can’t really fortify during an attack.

It’s all about the preparation beforehand.

And if you are in a time of (relative) spiritual peace, then we know some sort of battle will come our way at some point.

It’s all about loading as many spiritual experiences, scriptural inspiration, and powerful prayer into our spiritual bank account so that when the chaotic parts of life come, there’s a fortress ready to handle the wear and tear.

It is essential to strengthen ourselves in times of peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Strengthen during times of peace  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

During the final approach in the dark night, the pilots noticed that a small green light had turned off. (This light indicated if the landing gear had extended successfully.)

The pilots called off the landing and circled around for a bit, completely focused on this little green light. ⁣

Gradually, the plane circled lower and lower. ⁣

But the pilots didn’t notice. ⁣

They were still focused on the green light. ⁣

When a crew member realized how close they were to the swamplands, it was too late, and over 100 people tragically died as they crashed to the ground. ⁣

After recovery crews found the airplane, they discovered that the landing gear was working perfectly. ⁣

The little green light was the only thing that had malfunctioned. ⁣

The accident happened because the pilots turned their attention to something that seemed to matter a lot in the moment. ⁣

But they lost sight of what actually mattered the most. ⁣

Lehonti and his people were firm and steadfast in staying at the top of their mountain. ⁣

Until Amalakiah became really annoying and really persistent. ⁣

Imagine if Lehonti had refused to move even after the 4th request, and stayed firm in his vision that the mountain would be his safety. ⁣

As Latter-day Saints, we have some pretty lofty and solid commitments to do what is right. ⁣

And then, everyone keeps talking about that TV show that you know wouldn’t be the best for you to watch…⁣

And everyone keeps posting those types of articles and comments on social media…⁣

And your friend keeps bringing that same subject up over and over… ⁣

They seem so important and so relevant. So persistent. Like a little green button, like an important army leader requesting a meeting. ⁣

And sometimes, they ARE important issues to address. ⁣

But when we put our whole focus there, we lose sight of what matters most:

Our relationship with our loving God and Savior. ⁣

So when we feel that urge to just take a step down the mountain, we can remember:⁣

I am doing a great work. And I cannot come down. ⁣

(Story adapted from Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk in April 2009)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The broken green light first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

What is my “why”?

Why do I choose to do what I do each day?

Each and every thing.

Like emptying the dishwasher.

Reading a book to my kids.

Making time for date night.

Attending church on Sunday.

Studying the scriptures.

Why do I do it?

I’ve learned that I actually feel so much more empowered when I remember WHY I actually want to be doing each task.

I want to contribute to my home. I want to raise curious children. I want to strengthen my marriage. I want to worship God and take the sacrament. I want to invite the Spirit into my life even more.

Thinking of these “big” reasons makes the little mundane or habit-driven tasks so much more exciting and purposeful.

When Moroni went out to rally his troops, he also reminded his people of their “why.”

“He went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part.” (Alma 46:19)

And when he reminded them of their “why”, everyone was inspired to act.

They weren’t forced, guilted, or just convinced.

They thought about their purpose, and then they knew they wanted to do something.

What are your big picture “why”s for everything that you do each day?

Reflecting on this purpose can give us enough motivation to “rally the troops” and infuse a spiritual adrenaline rush into our lives.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rally the troops first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It’s common to hear: “Don’t judge others”.

And I agree with that 100%.

We have absolutely no business judging others.

But we still need to judge.

I can see someone making a choice with what they are doing on the Sabbath day.

And I can think, “Hmmmm. I don’t think that represents the sign that I want to give to my Heavenly Father on the Sabbath.

“That’s not something I will choose to do on Sundays.”

And it has nothing to do with my feelings about that other person.

I may not know the whole story of why they made that choice; that choice may have actually been right for them in their circumstance; they might be struggling with their testimony… It’s not my business to know it all.

I can still feel so much love for them.

And make the judgement call about MY behavior.

I can repeat this over and over with different examples, like choosing when to wear garments, choosing different political candidates, choosing how to fulfill callings, etc.

It’s so easy to go too far in the wrong direction.

To see someone making a choice and then judging them, harboring bad feelings, and thinking that we know better.

Alma counseled his son to “judge righteously”. (Alma 41:14)

And modern leaders have echoed with similar messages:

“We are to judge righteously, never self-righteously, never unrighteously.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

Judging righteously is focused completely on ourselves and our own relationship with God.

It’s taking in information from the examples around us, observing the fruits of others’ labors, dealing with the results of other people’s choices.

And then using that information to refine our own actions, desires, and motivations.

We have to judge.

But we do not judge others.

We just get to love.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post  I judge first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was speaking with a friend…

And the conversation got a little heated. ⁣

I thought that I was saying the right things in the moment.

But it threw a huge wedge between us. ⁣

Over the next couple of years, I matured a lot.

I discovered why the way I had reacted was completely inappropriate and actually not Christlike.

I vowed to improve my communication skills. ⁣

And I did!

It took a lot of work and effort.

But I totally changed and became so much better at kind and honest conversations, even when discussing difficult topics.

A few years later, I was speaking to that same friend. ⁣

The same topic came up that we had previously argued about.

But this time I handled it with maturity and finesse. ⁣

And then I mentioned:

“I’m so glad we can talk about this now, because I was so immature with how I responded the last time we had this conversation!”⁣

My friend’s response gutted me.

“Really? I didn’t know that you regretted how you talked to me last time. It hurt me, and I thought you still felt the same.”

I was so embarrassed.

My friend had no idea that I was thoroughly mortified for how I had acted before.

My friend had no idea that it had spurred literal years of self-development and sincere prayers.

Part of repentance means communicating with the people you have wronged. ⁣

Alma implored Corianton to, “. . . return unto them, and acknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done.” (Alma 39:13)

I let my friend hurt for much too long because they didn’t know I was trying to repent.

I could have saved them from some degree of suffering.

Of course, only the Savior can take away the true sting of sin.

But we need to do our part to ease the burden.

Return. Apologize. Acknowledge the fault.

And then improve.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post  I made the mistake first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.